"no differant to any of the new age sages who trumpet themselves in this day and age"
yep, and that is their downfall, you can often see it in their body language. they get quite carried away with themselves, as do many gurus or clergy.
so that is good to know - it's not an unusual phenomena. from one perspective, we are surrounded by delusion.
but within, or amidst, this there is elements of truth. like they say, don't thow out the baby with the bath water.
it's not a very long bow to draw to see how a mythological risen saviour story could have arisen out of watching and experiencing the rising, risen, and setting sun.
